Comments on: City Power knocked my lights out!

By: Jorge

Jorge — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:59:39 +0000

After 4 years of paying religiously on the 28′th of the month we were cut off last month out of the blue for paying 13 days late ( they moved our payment date from our initial 28′th of the month to the 15′th without notice) now stuck with R1300 re-connection fee. Personally I think City power has just found another way to make money off people through re-connection fees. Disconnection should be a LAST RESORT not the first option and this sort of contempt for the regularly paying customers that received their mail late should have some legal backlash for a government run supplier that’s in it for nothing more than to make money in return for zero service

Absolutely DISGUSTED

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:00:48 +0000

BRAVO GRANT!!!

We had the same thing happen to us at our home in Roodepoort, not once but TWICE in the past 3 months. We were not in arrears, but just had a small balance owing. We were in the dark for several days each time, and each time we had to pay a reconnection fee of +-R1300 to a private contractor. It is outrageous and nothing but extortion and just one more reason why we are emigrating to the UK. I am an IT professional and pay at least R35,000 a month in tax to the SA Govt., money which the country will now lose, but I don’t think they really give a damn. We have become just another banana republic.

By: counter-revolutionary, third world child

counter-revolutionary, third world child — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:37:19 +0000

This makes me appreciate the pre-paid meters we have in our townhouse complex. They don’t make a difference when there are power cuts but I don’t have to wait for a piece of paper or electronic bill to arrive or face cut-offs if I don’t pay on time.

By: amanda

amanda — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:39:35 +0000

you were doing really well until… Or perhaps I am just a bitter, late-payer with no leg to stand on that just needed to vent …

grow a pair, man. take a stand.

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:17:11 +0000

You could have done what is common in the townships and broke the lock on the distribution box (if there is one) and switched everybody on again. But been a law abiding citizen you and the affected residents in your area used the totally useless channels available to you and consequently were left without power for the weekend.
The “could not care less” attitude of City Power and their ilk needs to be challenged, they should not be allowed to get away with this.

By: General Panic

General Panic — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 07:54:10 +0000

Very good article!

I’m fortunate to have a pre-paid meter at home, which works well. No issues with incorrect billing! I’ve since realised that anything with an account causes untold stress, especially with the cellular providers.

Best is to go pre-paid for any form of service: South Africa just does not know what professionalism is.

By: Benzol

Benzol — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:30:22 +0000

I appreciate your frustration but a fairly long winded way of venting it to an audience who either suffered the same or are totally unaffected by your situation.

The same post strike hit us in Pretoria while the municipality was doing a double billing trick on residents to solve a cash flow problem. Luckily they must have run out of cash to hire the company to disconnect.

By: jay

jay — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:58:08 +0000

Grant – they insult your intelligence because collectively they have the combined intelligence of melanoma and chuene almost ……

Perhaps you can put your training to good use – get off the grid and let them sink to their own level of incompetence – or put your god given brains to even better use and get out of the sinking ship before you also get sucked into the maelstrom……….

By: Mo Haarhoff

Mo Haarhoff — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:46:12 +0000

But you vented so well that we all empathised with your pain and frustration!
Perhaps you could make the effort to send this to the electricity regulator…
Or perhaps you could make the effort to read this to Zuma over his personal hotline…remind whoever answers the call (oh me of little faith) to take notes, preferably in shorthand!
You would be speaking on my behalf. And probably on the behalf or behalves of every other frustrated, irritated state-owned enterprise customer in the country.
Go, Grant!

By: Siobhan

Siobhan — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:24:34 +0000

@ Grant “It also turns out that City Power has outsourced the switching on and off of power to a private company. They will not divulge the name of this company or give you a contact number for them.”

Outsourced, private company, name and contact details of company remain secret…Hmmm… now what could be wrong with this picture?

Since when can tenders to service a public utility be kept secret? Sounds like a case for the Auditor General to me, And Scopa. And the M&G. And 3rd degree. And Carte Blanche. And maybe, just maybe, the fraud unit of the Hawks…

Ouch! Ok, I’m awake now! SORRRRYYYY! I was just dreaming there for a while…

Given that your due date was the 8th of October and you had paid your bill on the 22nd of September, there should be no disconnection or reconnection charges on your account. If there are, that’s fraud. No excuses that City Power’s computers didn’t ‘register’ the payment in time to prevent an unjustified shut off!

Now what is the number for Carte Blanche??